Chapter 122: Lin Ran At The Mercury Control Center
A person’s lifetime is nothing more than wheat ripening dozens of times.
This is especially true for the vast majority of Chinese people today.
The beginning of 1962 was undoubtedly a very good start for Chinese people.
Although the outside world did not know about the existence of the Raspberry Pi, the public still gained considerable happiness from the improved accuracy of weather forecasts.
Chinese official media also reported extensively on this.
The report stated that Chinese meteorologists and mathematicians collaborated on research and development of a new weather prediction method, achieving more accurate weather prediction effects.
The report was like this, and the facts were indeed so.
This led to people from rural areas to cities almost universally making listening to weather forecasts a custom. It was already the case before, and now even more so.
Those with televisions or radios at home listened at home, while those without went to public places to listen, then returned home to rest.
Because the East China region and areas around Yanjing had more meteorological observation stations with higher density, the predictions were more accurate.
They could even predict three days ahead, though not every three days could be predicted; it required some obvious meteorological features.
This led places like the Northwest and Southwest, which had originally been skeptical about building meteorological observation stations, to willingly allocate funds to local meteorological bureaus to increase station construction.
At this time, Lin Ran did not know that changes were already occurring internally in China; the Raspberry Pi he provided was already helping the broadest group of people in this country.
What Chinese scientists lacked was not wise minds or diligent work attitudes; they lacked other things.
When the Raspberry Pi became a sufficiently long strength, they could burst forth with unimaginable energy.
That China would use the Raspberry Pi for weather prediction was something Lin Ran had not even thought of when sending it back.
At that time, his mind was full of rockets, missiles, semiconductors, and the like; he had not realized at all that China was still an agricultural country at present.
This was a cognitive black hole caused by the era gap.
Although China might not know what the four-quadrant method was, they were practicing the four-quadrant principles with their own behavior.
They invested the most resources and best talent in important and urgent tasks, and for important but not urgent tasks, they invested the most resources they could.
At this time, Lin Ran was at the Cape Canaveral Launch Site, preparing for NASA’s first major task after entering 1962.
That was the first manned orbital flight in space.
As mentioned before, last year’s first Allen Shepard flight had been sabotaged by Lin Ran, and Allen Shepard was kicked out of the astronaut team as a result.
The second was Virgil Grissom’s suborbital flight.
This time they were to conduct an orbital flight.
Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Union had already succeeded last year, and America wanted to catch up at the beginning of this year.
At the launch site, Kennedy first spoke with pilot John Glenn, who was executing this mission.
Then Lin Ran walked up to him and said, “Good luck, John Glenn.”
As the only person of Chinese descent in the entire meeting room, even the only minority ethnic group member, there was not a single black person in the meeting room.
Lin Ran had absolute prestige at NASA.
Including John Glenn, who respected Lin Ran greatly.
It was impossible not to respect him; everyone had witnessed Lin Ran’s deliberate silence that let Freedom 7 crash.
Before this launch, even after NASA’s engineers repeatedly checked, Lin Ran still pointed out several fatal errors.
There were minor radio failures, but also potentially deadly ones.
It could be said that lives were in Lin Ran’s hands.
No one would doubt that these failures were caused by Lin Ran.
Because everyone was watching.
From the rocket to the spacecraft, specialists were watching, and wherever Lin Ran was, someone was with him.
Through this operation, Lin Ran proved once again how awesome he was.
He could find your possible failures just from the design drawing.
No matter where, strength always commands the most respect.
This was especially true for John Glenn; without the failures Lin Ran helped discover, he would have died in space.
Becoming the first astronaut to die in space might sound okay, but wouldn’t it be better not to die?
On the morning of February 20, Glenn arrived at Launch Pad 14, assisted by spacesuit technicians to don his pressurized spacesuit.
He then entered the Friendship 7 spacecraft, preparing for launch.
(Glenn enters the spacecraft)
(Rocket launch)
Lin Ran had already arrived at Building 1385 in Cape Canaveral, that is, the Mercury Control Center, to watch the launch throughout.
(Mercury Control Center)
It might look like only this many people, but the actual engineer team was far larger.
They achieved real-time tracking of the spacecraft trajectory, with a global tracking network including stations at Bermuda, Canary Islands, Kano Island, providing continuous coverage observation capability.
After launch, shortly after separating from the booster, Friendship 7 turned around, flying toward the flight direction with the heat shield.
Glenn looked outside the window, observed the situation in Florida, and took a photo with his camera.
His gaze stayed on the booster, this behavior lasting a full eight minutes before the booster slowly rolled out of sight.
Reports from the Mercury Control Center checking his spaceship’s systems said everything was working as expected.
However, the atmosphere in the Mercury Control Center at this time was a bit tense.
Lin Ran smiled and said, “As I said, with me here, there’s only success, no failure. Everyone relax.”
The display screen flashed with Friendship 7’s orbital data; staff stared at the dashboard and radio signals. After Lin Ran’s words, the tension in the room eased somewhat.
Christopher Kraft tapped the table: “Director, Glenn has entered orbit. Data shows perigee 150 km, apogee 248 km.”
Christopher Kraft was the flight director.
Lin Ran asked upon hearing this, “Scott, how’s it over there? How does he sound?”
Scott was the backup astronaut and also the communicator responsible for communicating with John Glenn, maintaining contact at all times.
Scott Carpenter adjusted his headphones and said, “He’s very calm, Director.
He just reported seeing some strange small particles, like fireflies floating outside the window. I asked him twice, and he said it’s real, not a hallucination.
Although the radio signal is a bit intermittent, it can still be heard clearly.”
Engineer Joe Smith stared at the propulsion system data and frowned:
“Director, hold on, we have trouble. The automatic stabilization control system (ASCS) readings are off. Pitch angle deviated by 5 degrees, roll rate increasing. Looks like a problem with the propulsion system.”
Lin Ran turned to Smith: “Propulsion system? Which one specifically? We can’t let him wobble around up there.”
Joe Smith quickly flipped through the manual: “Possibly thruster 1 or 2 clogged, or the control valve not responding.”
Lin Ran decisively said, “Have Glenn switch to manual mode immediately, see if it can stabilize. This has been repeatedly trained before; it should be no problem.”
Lin Ran was speechless; he had repeatedly reminded them, yet the propulsion system still had a problem.
Another technician Mary Jones held the latest tracking station report and interjected, “Director, Bermuda station just sent a message; they also saw abnormal roll rate. Canary Islands station will take over in two minutes; they are ready with real-time data. Should I tell them to adjust the antenna?”
Lin Ran nodded: “Yes, Mary, have them lock the signal, don’t lose contact. Scott, tell Glenn to switch to manual control, now!”
Scott Carpenter spoke into the microphone: “Friendship 7, this is Mercury Control Center.
John, your ASCS may have a fault; we see increasing roll rate. Switch to manual control, adjust pitch and yaw. Over.”
Static came over the radio, followed by brief silence, then Glenn’s voice:
“Mercury Control Center, this is Friendship 7. Roger, switching to manual. Feels a bit like riding a wild horse, but I’m adjusting.
Pitch angle stabilizing, over.”
Lin Ran breathed a sigh of relief and said to Smith, “See, I told you he’d be fine.
Propulsion system faults happening so easily—we need a full investigation. Who is the current supplier for the propulsion system? Why are problems still occurring!”
Joe Smith looked a bit embarrassed: “Seems like General Aerospace.”
Everyone was smart and not blind; they knew Lin Ran’s relationship with General Aerospace.
It was originally Glenn Martin Company; after being acquired by General Aerospace, it became General Aerospace.
Lin Ran changed the subject: “Joe, keep monitoring propulsion system data. If there are more problems, we can end the mission early.”
Joe Smith typed on the keyboard: “Understood, Director. But there’s a new issue: the heat shield indicator light is on. Could be a switch fault, but we can’t confirm if the heat shield is really loose.”
Lin Ran said, “Heat shield? No way, didn’t I tell you to check it repeatedly before? Confirm for me, quick!”
Mary Jones checked the logs and said, “Kano Island station data just came in; heat shield alarm triggered at the end of Glenn’s first orbit. Possibly a circuitry issue, but we have to assume the worst.”
Scott Carpenter calmly suggested:
“Director, your design has a parachute pack. If the heat shield really fails, we can have him keep the parachute pack. The extra fixation can help him at least hold until reentry.”
Kraft nodded: “Exactly, good thing I added the parachute pack.
Joe, calculate the orbital impact of keeping the parachute pack. Mary, notify all stations, we may reenter early. Scott, tell Glenn the situation.”
Scott Carpenter spoke into the microphone: “Friendship 7, this is Mercury Control Center. John, we see the heat shield indicator light on; might be a false alarm, but for safety, we suggest keeping the parachute pack during reentry. Understand? Over.”
John Glenn replied over the radio: “Mercury Control Center, Friendship 7 roger. Keeping parachute pack, no problem. I’ll watch the instruments; you watch me. Over.”
Lin Ran stood up, patted Scott’s shoulder, and planned to get a cup of coffee:
“Good job, guys. I believe in Glenn; we have to get him back safely. Joe, give me the latest heat shield analysis. Mary, keep the tracking stations online. We have two more orbits!”
